Erdem on What He Really Thinks about Street Style and Insta-Fashion

The fashion designer also talks about his iconic prints, his wish to create a fragrance, and the inspiration behind the Spring/Summer 2019 collection.

Most recently, Erdem teamed up with Nars on the dreamiest Spring makeup collection, Strange Flowers, which followed hot on the heels of last year’s Erdem X H&M collection. The two successful, blitzy tie-ups came a long 13 years after founder Erdem Moralioglu established his label in London. Nothing like the hype labels and products of today, Moralioglu has gradually picked up speed, fans, and accolades along the way. The romantic prints and feminine silhouettes have led to him picking up a string of awards—including the 2008 British Fashion Council’s Fashion Forward Award, the 2013 British Fashion Council’s Red Carpet Award, the 2014 British Fashion Council’s Womenswear Designer of the Year Award, and the 2016 Fashion Group International Fashion Star Award.

Tell us a little about your Pre-Spring 2019 collection.

I looked at the work of the photographers William Eggleston and Diane Arbus – and their portrait subjects. I wanted to capture the sense of nostalgia and eccentricity from their photographs.

How about the Spring 2019 collection?

I was inspired by Stella and Fanny, two “sisters” who lived in Bloomsbury in the 1870s, who were in fact men. There was something so brave and bold about staying true to who they were. The collection was really inspired by the courage of dressing to become what you are.

I started to imagine what they would be like if they were alive in present times, hanging around Kings Cross in the early ’90s and what they would wear. The sense of rebellion I think comes from the mismatch of materials and acid colors. The color palette allowed us to really play and combine things in different ways and the more things didn’t go together, the more beautiful they became.

If you had to pick a favorite from the Spring 2019 collection, it’d be…

I love look 40, I think it incorporates all the Victorian details such as the ruched neckline and wonderful detailing in the buttons, which go all the way down the dress. It has such a beautiful silhouette.

After the tie-ups with H&M and Nars, who'd you like to work with?

I had done something with Moncler, but otherwise, it was 13 years before the H&M and Nars collections launched. It's nice to just focus on my label, but it was great to design menswear, casual pieces, and a more varied collection. I've also worked on costumes for the Royal Ballet, and I'd love to work on a play, a film, or opera.

Would you ever consider launching your own menswear?

I used to say "no", but now I would love to. I think I found myself in the process of designing menswear for the H&M collection, and the pieces were very real.

What do you really think about street style and fashion on Instagram?

I love seeing different interpretations of how to style my work. And with the explosion of street style, I have seen my pieces worn in so many different ways, which I love.

The last book you read is…

I recently read Portraits and Observations: The Essays of Truman Capote. It’s a collection of essays from the ’40s all the way up to the ’80s.

What can we expect from Erdem in 2019 and beyond?

I would love to open more stores worldwide. Our first store in London (that opened in 2015) has given me such a great opportunity to connect directly with my customer and I would love to do this elsewhere. I really enjoyed working on our beauty collaboration with Nars and would love to explore this world further, perhaps with a fragrance.